Author Topic: Original Centennial  (Read 417 times)

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Offline daddywpb

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Original Centennial
« on: January 14, 2007, 09:12:23 AM »
I picked this up at a gun show, thanks to my wife refusing to allow me to let it go by. It is new, unfired, in the box with original papers and still wrapped in the rust prevention paper with S&W logo. My brother, who passed away about 6 years ago had one and I remember him always carrying that little gun. I wanted to get his when he passed, but it was given to his kids who I'm sure sold or pawned it right away. I have been looking for one for years and this is the only one I've ever seen at a show. His was the aluminum framed model, this one is steel, but it's as close as I'm ever going to get. I will treasure it and the memories that it brings.


Offline vonfatman

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Re: Original Centennial
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2007, 05:29:51 PM »
daddywpb,
Nice gun!!  I have a pair of the steel framed Centennials (Model 40).  One is a pre-40 that I shoot, the other is minty fresh from the early
1960s...one of just a couple "safe queens" I own.
Are you going to shoot yours?
If you decide to remove the grips, BE CAREFUL as there is a pin (used to lock the grip safety into place--to eliminate to requirement to "squeeze the lemon")
The pin will be in side the grips, if not already lost or removed.  You will be LUCKY if it is there.  Both mine came to me w/o the pin.

Take care and enjoy your gun.  If it were me, I'd try to buy your brother's gun from the kid(s)...it's worth asking.  THATs the gun you were after!
All they can tell you is "it's gone" or "no".

Good luck.

Bob
"Onward Through the Fog"

Offline daddywpb

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Re: Original Centennial
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2007, 10:47:47 PM »
Bob,

Thanks for the response. I have already shot it, and it shoots like a dream. I could never hit anything with my brothers gun. It's light weight made it kick like a mule, and I was a little kid. He could hit anything with it, and he always shot it one handed. If I ever see one of the aliminum framed guns it will be very tempting.

I did take the grips off and the pin was there! I was amazed. I knew to look for it because I had read about it. My brothers gun did not have the pin. I like the "lemon squeezer" feature anyway. The guy I bought it from had bought ten of them, new in the box, from some guy in South America back in the '60's. Mine was one of the ten. When I bought it, he said he had two of them left, one was nickeled, and he was keeping the nickel one for himself. I did get to see it though - absolutely beautiful - and he would not sell it to me. I still see him at gun shows once in a while. He is not the most friendly guy in the world, but quite a character.

As for my brother's gun, I did ask his wife for it about a month after he died. She said she was giving it to his son, and I'm sure it's long gone. He also has an old Fred Bear recurve and a pair of Remington Model 1100 shotguns, one in 12 and one in 20 gauge. I have fond memories of hunting with him and carrying those shotguns. I asked about them and didn't get an answer. It was very sad for me. To me, those guns WERE my brother. It's been seven years and it still bothers me.

The Centennial I have is not the same as his, but it's all I have. Just seeing it brings back a flood of good memories.

Steve